


january

by mazescorched



Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crushes, F/F, Gen, Mutual Pining, Pining, brenderesa RIGHTS, coffee shop au nobody asked for, tdc came out over two years ago but clearly this isn't stopping me, teresa is a disaster and so is everyone else
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:40:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23138623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mazescorched/pseuds/mazescorched
Summary: As far as Teresa was concerned, letting Thomas Murphy get the two of them hired at Homestead Coffee Roastery was one of the worst decisions she had made to date.or: the brenderesa coffee shop au that nobody asked for, but i felt the urge to write. yes i know tdc came out over two years ago but apparently this didn't stop me
Relationships: Minho & Newt (Maze Runner), Minho & Thomas (Maze Runner), Newt & Thomas (Maze Runner), Teresa Agnes & Brenda (Maze Runner), Teresa Agnes & Minho (Maze Runner), Teresa Agnes & Newt (Maze Runner), Teresa Agnes & Thomas (Maze Runner), Teresa Agnes/Brenda (Maze Runner)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	january

**Author's Note:**

> the much less angsty companion fic/prequel to my fic 'november'. you can read them in calendar order or as standalones- either way, i hope you enjoy! please feel free to share any thoughts in the comments- any feedback you have would be very much appreciated. thanks for reading :)

As far as Teresa was concerned, letting Thomas Murphy get the two of them hired at Homestead Coffee Roastery was one of the worst decisions she had made to date.

It wasn’t the absurdly early hours, or the fact that she didn’t even like coffee. (Homestead carried an enviable selection of teas, both herbal and caffeinated.) It wasn’t that Thomas blasted Bon Jovi every morning in her car, knowing full well she hated with a passion - she, Newt, and Minho would belt Livin’ on a Prayer after a bit too much wine on the occasions where they would show up at the Murphy twins’ apartment waiting for Thomas to get out of class so that the four of them could go out - but no one, certainly not Thomas, needed to know that.

It _might_ have been the fact that a certain girl named Brenda was consistently first in line whenever Teresa worked the morning shift and it _might_ have been the fact that whenever Teresa looked at her, her stomach decided to let loose a whole entire swarm of butterflies, and she thought she was going to either pass out or throw up - in the most positive way possible.

It definitely was not the fact that Brenda had black hair that fell in a glossy sheet to her chin, twinkling brown eyes, and a pinch of freckles across her nose, and whenever she smiled Teresa’s heart probably stopped for a solid thirty seconds.

It definitely was _not_ Brenda, no matter how much grief Thomas and Newt gave her during breaks.

Teresa Agnes Murphy did not get crushes, especially on coffee customers that just happened to be there whenever Teresa worked the morning shift. Newt had taken the care to inform her that whenever he, Thomas or Minho were working mornings, a certain Brenda was nowhere to be found.

They had gotten into quite the debate over said certain Brenda one Friday as Teresa drove the three of them to the Homestead at five in the morning. “I was there on Monday and Thomas and Minho were there on Thursday and and not once did we see her.” Newt shouted as Teresa cranked up the music (Bon Jovi, unfortunately).

“Coffee is expensive.” countered Teresa, “And some people only like to drink it twice a week.” “In this economy? Twice a day is more like it.” interjected Minho, “And can we please listen to something that’s not Bon-fucking-Jovi? I think my ears are bleeding.” Thomas huffed, and soon, Bohemian Rhapsody came blaring through the speakers of Teresa’s navy Jetta.

“Economy aside, you’re definitely the only reason Brenda even comes to Homestead.” Newt continued, “You told me she doesn’t even order coffee!” “You memorized her order?” exclaimed a flabbergasted Thomas, just as Teresa said in a very small voice, “Large English breakfast tea with oat milk, and a chocolate croissant.”

“And that, my friends, is contemporary romance,” Thomas crowed. Teresa contemplated turning the car around. As Bohemian Rhapsody drew to a conclusion, Teresa pulled into the back parking lot of the Homestead Coffee Roastery. They piled out of the car, Minho jingled the keys to the coffee shop like it was still Christmas in their sleepy college town- the perks of being the manager, Ben’s, favorite employee. After making herself a cup of tea (Earl Grey, not English Breakfast to Thomas’ disappointment) Teresa and Minho got to work restocking the machines with coffee beans, while Newt and Thomas started wiping down tables in preparation for the morning rush.

At seven-o-five on the dot, a sleek black Jeep pulled into the parking lot of Homestead. Teresa felt her face turn crimson, and Minho raised his eyebrows pointedly.

“I think we’re running low on cups.” announced Newt, “Tommy, Minho, would you help me look for them in the back?”. They were up and gone as soon as the words were out of his mouth, but not before Newt glanced over his shoulder and sent a very exaggerated wink in Teresa’s direction. “Go get her, T!” shouted Thomas, before Newt whisked him away into the back room. Teresa cursed them all silently. Not a second later, Homestead’s doorbell chimed cheerfully as Brenda entered the coffeeshop. Her black hair was flawless, falling just to her jawline. She’d layered a soft burgundy scarf with a dark green coat to combat the January chill, and she smiled when she saw Teresa, who had suddenly forgotten how to breathe, “Hey,” she said, laughing apologetically, “Back again”. Teresa smiled, and managed to choke out a reply, “Morning classes, huh?” She gestured vaguely to the WCKD cardholder on Brenda’s phone, “Yup. I’m TA-ing for Janson, and I think it might be the worst decision I’ve made to date.” Brenda rolled her eyes good-naturedly, and Teresa laughed, trying to control her breathing, “What can I get you today?” Brenda glanced up at the menu above their heads, “Just the usual- may I please have a chocolate croissant, and a large English Breakfast tea with oat milk?” Teresa nodded as she tapped Brenda’s order into the iPad at the counter, ignoring the crash that sounded from inside the supply room. Brenda’s head snapped up in surprise as Minho emerged with Thomas on his heels, grinning stupidly and holding a sizable stack of coffee cups.

“Brenda, right?” asked Teresa, “I’ll have that out for you in just a minute.” Brenda nodded, as she made her way over to an empty table, “Take your time- the less time I spend with Janson, the better.” Teresa laughed as she took a chocolate croissant from the display case and popped it into the oven, “My brother had him last year, and from what I heard, he’s a real piece of work.” Setting her bag down on a chair, Brenda smiled in agreement, “Piece of work is an understatement. He might as well have told me I signed up for servitude. I don’t know how your brother tolerated him for a whole year. What was he taking?” “Environmental science, I think. Are you TA-ing it?” Brenda shook her head good-naturedly, “I’m actually working with his biochem class, but next semester I’m going to try and get myself transferred into a different one- biomedical engineering, hopefully.” “No way,” Thomas interjected. Teresa resisted the urge to throw a cup at him- he’d apparently recovered from his back-room debacle, “Aren’t you signed up for biomed next semester, T?” Teresa nodded through gritted teeth, “Mhm. What a coincidence.” She focused her gaze back towards Brenda, and gave what she hoped was a pleasant grin. The toaster oven beeped behind her and Thomas turned to retrieve the pastry. She poured Brenda’s tea, topping it off with oat milk, and sliding it across the counter to Brenda, where Thomas had deposited her croissant. Picking up her order, Brenda’s smile was megawatt, “Biomed, huh?” she asked, “Gives me even more reason to try and transfer in.” Teresa grinned stupidly, unable to conceal the blush on her cheeks, “Well, maybe I’ll see you next semester? Janson’s class and all.” Brenda’s smile grew even brighter, “Tomorrow’s more like it. Homestead makes the best tea around.” With a cheery wave over her shoulder, she was making her way towards the door, the bell chiming behind her. A few moments later, the Jeep pulled out of the parking lot, swiftly replaced by legions of university students eager for their morning caffeine fix. Exhaling deeply, Teresa brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes, “Can you cover the register for me?” she asked Thomas, “I’m going to take five.” Thomas smirked at her from the cash register, “Why, need to recover from your thrilling interaction? Janson’s class is really a gold mine, huh?” Teresa threw a cup at him, unable to wipe the smile off her face.

\- - -

The next morning, Teresa was awake well before her alarm went off. As she brushed her teeth, she realized she had a grin plastered on her face, and, although she told herself not to, she went through the rest of her morning routine without bothering to wipe it off. Still smiling at herself in the mirror, she brushed on bronze eyeshadow and pale pink lip gloss. She picked out an ice-blue sweater that brought out the color of her eyes, but thankfully wouldn’t clash with her charcoal-grey Homestead apron. By the time she decided on a black corduroy skirt, knee-high boots, and black tights to beat the January chill, she could smell Thomas cooking breakfast down the hall (a series of mishaps from a young age had taught the Murphy twins that while Teresa and the science lab were a match made in heaven, Teresa and the toaster were life-threatening). Per usual, he was wearing his usual dark green hoodie- an adored Christmas gift from Newt- under a dark grey twill jacket. He had a spatula in one hand and an iced coffee in the other, his choice beverage regardless of subzero temperatures. “Morning, T,” he said, “Who’s got you so dressed up on a Wednesday morning?” Teresa shrugged, still grinning stupidly. Realization dawned on Thomas’ face, but before he could say anything, she picked up the mug of mint tea that Thomas had poured for her, and started setting two placemats, plates, and utensils at the barstools on their kitchen island. The silly smile remained on Teresa’s face through homemade breakfast sandwiches, although Thomas seemed hell-bent on figuring out what-or who- was the source of her mysterious behavior. “It’s no one, I promise” argued Teresa as she put their plates in the sink, “Why can’t I wear a nice outfit for me, myself, and I?” Thomas poured oat milk into his second iced coffee of the morning, “T, you dress up for yourself all the time. My twin senses are telling me there’s a certain someone responsible. And something tells me we’re gonna see her at Homestead this morning.” Laughing, Teresa threw a dish towel in his general direction.

Word of her good mood had spread to the carpool by the time Thomas and Teresa pulled up outside Newt and Minho’s dorm. Thankfully, Starman by David Bowie was the song of the morning, so Teresa had no problem cranking up the music to dodge their questions. As if on cue, Brenda’s Jeep pulled into the Homestead parking lot at 7:05. Thomas, Newt, and Minho were gone, ‘unpacking tea bags’ in the supply room, and Teresa found herself fidgeting with the nametag on her apron. The chime of the door opening matched Brenda’s downright sunny grin, and Teresa felt her cheeks flare pink. She told herself she was reading too far into it, but, like her, Brenda was looking awfully put-together for a Wednesday morning. She was wearing a camel-colored sweater that brought out the flecks of amber in her brown eyes and dark grey jeans under the coziest-looking courduroy jacket Teresa had ever seen. Accenting her outfit was a thin gold necklace with a star charm, and dangling earrings with little stars at the end caught the water sunlight and bathed Brenda’s face in a soft golden glow, at least, in Teresa’s incredibly biased opinion.

“Welcome back to Homestead,” Teresa said, willing her voice not to crack. “Morning, Teresa,” replied Brenda, “I like your sweater- it matches your eyes.” Teresa went weak in the knees, “Thanks,” she squeaked, “Pretty earrings.” It could have been her imagination, but Brenda blushed, “My dad got them for me,” she said, “Only problem is, Bertha thinks they’re hers to play with.” “Bertha?” asked Teresa. Brenda rolled her eyes good-naturedly, “Our morbidly obese tabby cat. My dad’s had her since he was my age, and I swear she’s immortal.” Laughing, Teresa, and replied, “Gosh, I wish we’d had a cat growing up. I’m the only cat person in a family of dog lovers, so we had Bark instead of a Bertha.” Brenda raised her eyebrows, “Bark?” “Our chocolate lab- we got him when we were little, and my brother named him. He was a sweetheart, but probably the most energetic animal I’ve ever met.” “Sound like a match made in heaven,” replied Brenda, “I don’t think Bertha could run if her life depended on it.” She met Teresa’s eyes with a completely straight face, and despite her best efforts to reply with a light giggle, Teresa snorted. Brenda finally cracked a grin, and soon, the two of them were bent double over the register, laughing like old friends. When they finally caught their breath, they launched into a conversation over the follies of pet parenting, and the one disastrous time Brenda tried to get Bertha on a leash and take her for a walk. The sound of a phone ringing sliced through their laughter, and Brenda fumbled around in her backpack until she pulled out her cellphone.

“Janson,” she explained apologetically, “Do you mind if I take this?” Teresa nodded in agreement, and Brenda answered the call. After a minute or so, Brenda stuffed her phone back into her bag with a sigh, “Servitude!” she exclaimed, “He knows full well it’s my day off and asked me to come in and grade lab reports. And, once I told him I was at Homestead, he told me to pick him up a coffee!” Teresa rolled her eyes, “This is really not making me look forward to biomed next semester,” she laughed. Brenda smiled in agreement, “Well, hopefully we’ll have each other.” Teresa’s heart leapt into her throat, and she tried to contain the grin that was spreading across her face, “Well, I hope so. Janson’s order is on the house. He can’t take your day off and your money.” “Damn straight,” giggled Brenda. God, I hope you’re not, Teresa thought. “Anything for you?” she asked. “Just my usual,” Brenda replied with a smile. From the espresso machine next to her, Thomas shot Teresa a very pointed look. She resisted the urge to kick him as he made a big deal of pulling a chocolate croissant out of the pastry case. She handed Brenda Janson’s coffee, as well as her tea and croissant, “Good luck,” she said, and Brenda met her eyes with a bright grin, “Thanks, Teresa. I’m gonna need it.” As she glanced down to wipe down the counters, Teresa noticed there was a stray napkin where Brenda had been waiting for her order. Written on it in neat, angular handwriting was a note- _second semester study buddy? 221-472-3849 xx brenda_

Teresa stared down at Brenda’s note, unable to keep the smile off of her face.

\- - -

"We've come to a conclusion," Newt announced on the car ride home. Minho held up the napkin for emphasis, "You have it _bad_." Teresa cranked up the volume, her smile too bright to bother arguing.

**Author's Note:**

> hey thanks again for reading! any comments/kudos would mean the world to me ;)
> 
> find me on twitter @mazescorched or on tumblr @havilliiards


End file.
